GENDER: Female labour force in India has come down by an alarming 7 per cent in the past 3 decades

If government figures are anything to go by, it doesn't seem like the work environment of the country has become more conducive for women workers.The female labour force in the country has dipped by 7 per cent between 1983 to 2009-10, according to Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge.

“As per results of various rounds of surveys conducted during 1983 to 2009-10, female labour force participation rate on usual status basis has varied from around 30 per cent in 1983 to 23.3 per cent in 2009-10,” said Mr Kharge in Lok Sabha. These figures have been taken from the last National Sample Survey of 2009-10, conducted once every five years.

The reason for the decline in the rate of growth of labour force during 2004-05 to 2009-10 is being attributed to drastic deceleration in labour force participation rate, particularly among women. There has also been a reduction in subsidiary employment, thereby leading to lesser women participating in labour force. Mr Kharge also noted that an increase in level of income in rural areas due to increase in real wages and higher level of participation in education are also responsible for the decline in numbers.

In order to bring more women workers into the work force, the Ministry is providing training through a network of Industrial Training Institutes, National Vocational Training Institute and Regional Vocational Training Institutes for women, said Mr Kharge.

“A large number of women are being trained in modular employable skills under Skill Development Initiative Scheme,” he said.